Socio‐Economic Dimensions of Land Degradation and Climate Vulnerability: Challenges and Opportunities for Resilient Development

ABSTRACT This study investigates how socio‐economic drivers shape resilient development in degraded rural China, focusing on adoption and risk pathways. Prior work links secure land rights, market connectivity, and conservation practices to better livelihoods, but fewer studies test these levers together within a unified model for climate‐stressed settings. Using household survey data from degraded agroecosystems in China and estimating a SmartPLS model, the analysis examines sustainable land management (SLM) as a mediating mechanism and climate vulnerability as a parallel mediator, with institutional support as a moderator. Results show that SLM transmits the benefits of land tenure security and market access into development outcomes, while climate vulnerability carries an adverse influence on perceived land degradation. Institutional support strengthens the SLM development relationship, underscoring the value of reliable extension services and transparent subsidies. These findings highlight how rights, markets, and local institutions jointly enable conservation adoption and reduce climate risk, offering practical directions for resilient and sustainable rural development.